Branding Policies for Marginal Area Complexity and Multidimensionality in A Regional Case Study

Over the past few decades, changes have occurred in the profile of tourists and in their approach to consumption that are reflected on the criteria and process of evaluation, selection and purchase. Even the offer has changed, especially in the communication to the consumer. Today it is directed to communicate a complex product characterised by greater component of service and founded upon the oneness of the experience that often replaces the technical- functional characteristics of the motivations of purchase. In this process, great importance has assumed country brand as a synthesis of tangible and intangible values able to fully express the territorial identity. The realization of an institutional brand, in fact, allows getting notable advantages of short and long period. But is this issue true also when it exists a high level of territorial differences? Is it possible that a territorial brand is able to synthesize all identifier values of a broader area? While the literature has widely studied the capabilities and role of brand applied to tourism, this last aspect has not been sufficiently dealt. The paper, through the analysis of a regional case, tries to give answer to the following question: can one brand positioning theme meet the needs of all market segments, is able a geographical mark to be effective for the peripheral areas, and can it suit the business interests of all local tourism operators and represent the community’s genius loci?